To run the fan meeting, Hyunseung went to the art hall that had been booked from the crack of dawn.
But instead of studying the script or thinking about his own stage, he was obsessed only with the sound, lighting, traffic patterns and such that would be used for the tracks on the album UNM to be unveiled that day.
“Please lower the effect on mic no. 2 just a little.”
He especially checked the featuring vocalists’ rehearsals all the more carefully.
“We’ll cut it here for a moment and go again from the top.”
The last in line, Kim Bomi, had already had her rehearsal cut off three times without even making it into verse two.
“Composer-nim, is the yoke of ‘Again’ hell starting here too?”
It had been only once, but having been held nearly forty-eight hours for recording, the way this rehearsal kept repeating felt terribly unsettling to Kim Bomi.
Right.
Is this what they call PTSD?
“Just do it when you’re told. Take one step forward.”
With a “just kill me” resolve, Kim Bomi adjusted her grip on the mic again.
This time for sure…!
It was not only Kim Bomi. Everyone’s situation was similar.
Even if it had been a sudden featuring offer, once she heard it was a collaborative personal album by Jayble and HS, she canceled all her scheduled work.
Along with the recording, to stand as a guest singer on the composer’s fan-meeting stage, she practiced with flesh-shaving effort.
Since this was the chance to get close to “HS.”
However, he was the sort of person it was very hard to get close to. Even though the in-house composer at her own label, Jayble, had a similar image….
He’s far more formidable than Jayble.
Good-looking as he may be, he felt like someone completely lacking in social skills.
No, you know that saying that when someone is too much of a genius, they go crazy….
He kind of seems a little crazy.
Anyway, having given up on becoming close, the path Kim Bomi chose was to be recognized for her skill.
If her skill were acknowledged, who knows… he might call for her again any time.
Although right now she was getting smashed, repeating this rehearsal stage at double her usual run-throughs.
Even so, Kim Bomi was a singer widely known in Hallyu.
Looks? Check.
Dance? Check.
Vocals and live ability too.
Because there wasn’t a thing she lacked, she even had the nickname “Ppami1.”
— ♬ ♬ ♬
This time really is when Ppami shows her mettle.
Just watch me.
When her juniors in the industry, Jung Arin and Ahn Jiho, had both finished their rehearsals in two passes….
A great senior like herself was already past three. Her pride was badly bruised.
— We were so hurt, weren’t we.
With eyes full of resolve, matching her preset stage marks, Kim Bomi poured out everything as if it were the real stage.
— That’s why I need you even more.
Precise eye line.
— I try to gather back up what’s already been spilled.
Unshaken breath and final notes.
— I can’t let time take you again as it flows.
Even down to the ending pose and the heaving chest from rough breaths….
Everything was perfect, like the real stage.
This, this is definitely a pass!
Avoiding the light that obstructed her view, Kim Bomi walked to the side of the stage.
“Hm?”
HS, who by rights should have been facing her stage, had his body turned toward the fan seats.
What is this?
Following the tilt of his head, she shifted her gaze, and in the still-dim fan seats she saw a few familiar faces.
W-what is this?
The right hand holding her mic dropped toward the floor.
Meanwhile, with his brows knit, Hyunseung clicked his tongue.
“Did you all come on a class field trip?”
No wonder.
Kang Hajun, Seo Jini, Yoon Jaeyi, and even The Moon’s Choi Junghyeok—
Who knew when they’d come. They were lined up and sitting in the fan seats without a sound.
Then Choi Junghyeok, in his characteristic breezy way, spoke up.
“Since it’s your first fan meeting, I came to cheer you on as The Moon’s rep!”
“Even though you’ve got An Jiho already…”
“The members all wanted to come together, but there was an important schedule.”
“You don’t listen to what I say.”
Shaking his head side to side, Hyunseung shifted his gaze to the other three.
When Seo Jini’s eyes met Hyunseung’s, she flinched for a moment.
“I—I came because Jung Arin told me to.”
With a feigned calm face, Seo Jini lifted her chin.
“M-me too—!”
Just as Yoon Jaeyi, standing beside her, raised her hand and shouted:
“A-hem!”
With something to say, Kang Hajun gave an awkward cough.
“I, I…”
Then, showing an invitation to HS’s fan meeting, he said,
“I came as a winner.”
At that, Hyunseung covered his forehead with his hand and let out a deep sigh.
Of course, the other singers’ attention was drawn to the invitation in Kang Hajun’s hand.
“Wow, you actually won this? I’m so jealous….”
“Go buy a lottery ticket.”
“All our members struck out across the board….”
Watching the three chattering in front of him made Hyunseung feel almost dizzy.
Aren’t they all hot artists right now? Entertainers entering the drawing for a composer’s fan-meeting invitation…
To Kim Bomi, standing on stage in a daze, this must have felt like what on earth is going on?
“Hey now, congrats on winning the fan meeting, Hajun!”
“Director Kim, you’re here?”
“Yep, looks like you’re going to do even better from here on out.”
“Me?”
“Sure—if you won, your luck must be good.”
To those in HS’s camp, this was the most natural daily banter.
“Hey, Director Kim, what are you saying to the kid?”
“What else? I’m jealous of Hajun.”
“What’s there to be jealous of?”
“Honestly, I applied as a fan-cafe member too, and yeah—didn’t win.”
Watching Director Kim suddenly wilt, Hyunseung snorted. He was starting to think he really would have to boot him from the fan café sometime soon.
Before long, Director Kim snapped back.
“You just cursed me in your head, didn’t you?”
“No.”
“You just cursed me with your eyes.”
“It didn’t go as far as cursing.”
Seeing the two bicker, the artists couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
“P-pff—!”
After a short relay of laughter—
“Fwam-mark man—!”
At the cute voice coming from somewhere, everyone started craning their necks like meerkats.
Ah, of course. Hyunseung had already turned his body toward the source of that voice and was waiting.
“Hey, don’t run. You’ll fall.”
Gruff words, dripping with kindness.
Right after that, Dohee, running even faster than her big brother Kim Dojin, clung dangling to one of HS’s legs.
“Fwam-mark man! Fwam-mark man!”
“Dohee, you mustn’t!”
Kim Dojin tried to stop his little sister once he caught up, but the more he tried, the tighter Dohee clung and held on.
“Honestly, what a handful.”
He only said that. In reality, HS lifted Dohee up with a firm hug, holding her securely.
“Squirt, you got chubbier, huh?”
“Nooo—!”
“Feels heavier.”
“I said nooo!”
Watching the two of them, the others each showed a different reaction.
From the men looking on fondly, to Seo Jini recoiling, to Yoon Jaeyi staring, envious.
And even Kim Bomi, who felt this whole situation was out of order….
From top artists to, out of nowhere, a toddler appearing at a composer’s fan meeting.
W-what on earth is this situation?
It was only natural to be flustered.
But to Hyunseung, this scene felt a little different.
Ah.
To say it wasn’t a burden at all would be a bald-faced lie.
Separate from that, he was wrapped in a strangely swelling emotion.
Perhaps… because the people he’d thought of while writing had, as if promised, taken their places for him.
Of course, Hyuna wasn’t there, but even that empty seat would soon be filled by his fans.
“Hoo.”
Reaching that thought, an unknown tension tightened his grip around the Dohee in his arms.
“H-hic, waaaah—!”
Feeling that grip, Dohee seemed startled and burst out crying.
“Dohee, you mustn’t cry here.”
With an embarrassed face, Kim Dojin took Dohee into his arms and bowed his head quickly.
“S-sorry. When you run the fan meeting today, I’ll try to coax her so she doesn’t cry.”
It had been his fault, but seeing Kim Dojin apologize instead made Hyunseung answer sheepishly.
“A kid can cry.”
Then he met Dohee’s eyes and raised a shield.
“If you don’t cry today, I’ll give you a present.”
“Hic, hik, p-pwesent?”
Dohee’s nose tip reddened, but at the word “present” she calmed down, and her tears stopped as if nothing had happened.
“Yeah, can you promise you won’t cry?”
“Mm-hm, I pwomise—.”
“What if you promise and don’t keep it?”
“No, Dohee keeps her promises real good!”
At that, Hyunseung slowly nodded, rummaged in the shopping bag he’d set on the floor, and took out a hat.
“Whas thiss?”
He plopped it right on top of Dohee’s head.
“Even the kids’ size is big.”
Apparently, it was way too big for Dohee’s head. The hat slid right down to the bridge of her nose.
Everyone let out a small laugh at how cute Dohee looked.
“Huh?”
But people standing there—and even passing staff—stopped in their tracks, eyes fixed on Dohee’s hat.
No.
To be precise, they were aghast.
“What on earth is that hat?”
The question Director Kim blurted in surprise spoke for everyone present.
To bring her best friend Yoonjeong to the fan-meeting venue, Hyuna drove the car that had long been gathering dust.
Vroooom—!
Why did oppa buy me something like this?
It’s kind of embarrassing.
Whether it was because it was such a fast car, or because other cars were moving aside to let her pass, she arrived in front of her friend’s house in the blink of an eye.
Honk, honk—!
With her car right in front of her, Hyuna gave a light tap of the horn toward Yoonjeong, who was looking around.
“I was already thinking, since you said you’d give me a ride, did you suddenly get a car… Isn’t this car super expensive?”
“Uh, well… it’s my brother’s!”
“Oh right, you had a brother, didn’t you?”
“Mm-hm, y-yeah—! I do.”
Barely managing an excuse, Hyuna eased the wheel smoothly, watching Yoonjeong’s reaction.
“Yoonjeong, buckle up. Let’s get going.”
“Okay. I already feel bad that I’m the only one going, and now you’re giving me a ride too, so I feel really guilty….”
“No, it’s fine!”
“Hyuna, you like HS too. Isn’t it a bit sad that I’m the only one going?”
“What’s there to be sad about! And honestly, I’m giving you a ride so you’ll tell me everything in detail after the fan meeting!”
“Got it. I’ll really tell you every little thing!”
Awkwardly smiling, Hyuna changed the subject and asked,
“Want me to put some music on?”
At that, Yoonjeong, all excited, asked,
“Yeah, then play ‘fallen leaves’!”
“Ah, you mean HS’s song?”
“Yep! It’s still No. 1. It’s seriously amazing.”
Glancing at Yoonjeong’s face, Hyuna felt a bit puzzled. There are so many handsome idols these days, and so many composer-idols…
Why did it have to be my brother she liked this much?
He was just a composer whose face wasn’t even properly known.
In the end, unable to resist her curiosity, she spoke.
“Yoonjeong, seriously… why do you like HS?”
“They say he’s a handsome guy and talented. Who could dislike that?”
“Mm, what if he’s not as handsome as you think and his temper’s bad?”
If at the fan meeting her brother just acted like his real self, would Yoonjeong be disappointed?
But what came out of Yoonjeong’s mouth was something utterly nonchalant.
“What does that matter.”
“Huh?”
“Honestly, it wouldn’t matter if he weren’t handsome.”
“Then what?”
“Right now, I just like HS’s music, and I’ve come to like HS the person, so it doesn’t matter what he looks like.”
At that, Hyuna couldn’t answer for a few seconds and let out a deep sigh.
“Ah…”
Witnessing up close a fan who loved her brother purely for the music, with no conditions at all, felt amazing and stirred a strange feeling.
Screeeech—
Fortunately, before that feeling could slip out of her mouth, the car arrived in front of the art hall where the fan meeting would be held.
“Get there safe!”
“I’ll scream my lungs out for both of us!”
Finishing her words, Yoonjeong, before getting out of the car, took a hat out of her bag and pulled it down low.
“Y-Yoonjeong…”
Seeing the bizarre design of the hat, Hyuna blanched and asked,
“What is that hat?”
“Please don’t ask. I’m embarrassed too.”
Then as Yoonjeong opened the door to get out….
“What on earth is with that hat army?”
In front of the art hall stood a crowd of people wearing hats just like Yoonjeong’s.
It was truly a rare sight the likes of which you might never see again.
- “Ppami” (빠미) is a punny nickname meaning “Bomi with no weak points” / “flawless Bomi.” ↩︎
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